New Public News

Wandering the Pike

September 11 & 18, 2016
11am-12:30pm

Join public artist Graham Coreil-Allen to explore and reimagine the urban and suburban spaces of Columbia Pike in Arlington, Virginia on this alternative walking tour beginning at the Columbia Pike Farmers Market. All are invited to participate as we take turns sharing our insights into the history, design and uses of everyday public spaces. The former rural toll road served as an early economic lifeline connecting Washington DC to Virginia. Columbia Pike quickly grew into a booming stretch of motorist amenities at the expense of pedestrian safety and accessibility. Wander the Pike to experience firsthand how residents and leaders are helping to transform the suburban drag into an walkable main street for all.

Wandering the Pike is presented by Arlington Arts of Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of the Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, uses the power of the arts to transform lives and build community, and provides programs and services to create an environment that encourages excellence in the Arlington arts community.

Taking place within and around RedLine‘s 48 Hours of Socially Engaged Art and Conversation, the New Public Sites – Five Points Denver walking tours and immersive gallery map installation provided a range of opportunities for learning about and activating the power of public space within a truly beautiful, challenging and inspirational neighborhood. New Public Sites is indebted to RedLine, participants, and all of the guest speakers who through their time, space and energies made our roving spaces of radical pedestrian action possible.

Welton Wander: Wednesday, August 10, 11am-12:30pm

RiNo Drift: Thursday, August 11, 6-7:30pm

Denver’s Five Points neighborhood is a hotbed of creativity and construction taking place among powerful sites of heritage. Learn how regular people have helped shape the history, design and current uses of public spaces around Five Points during two New Public Sites walking tours led by public artist Graham Coreil-Allen.

The New Public Sites (NPS) tours are free and open to the public as part of RedLine’s 48 Hours of Socially Engaged Art and Conversation summit. The first tour will take place on Wednesday, August 10 from 11am-12:30pm, and focus on sites of heritage and change around Welton Street. Stops will include Lawson Park, Cousins Plaza, speculative/construction sites, and the Five Points intersection itself. The second tour will take place on Thursday, August 11 from 6-7:30pm, and will investigate the positive and negative impacts of urban planning and development around the RiNo arts district. Sites will include Broadway’s triangular spaces, Sustainability Park, and The Temple.

During the tours, Coreil-Allen will recite poetic terms and definitions identifying specific types of public sites and experiences unique to Five Points. Along the way, he will also invite neighborhood experts, such as residents, workers and other stakeholders, to help identify, interpret, and activate their own public spaces. The tours will culminate with participants contributing found objects, wax rubbings and poetic writings to an immersive map installation at RedLine.

RedLine is a non-profit contemporary art center in Denver, Colorado. RedLine’s vision is to empower every person to create social change through art. Each year RedLine hosts “48 Hours of Socially Engaged Art & Conversation,” a creative summit addressing socially engaged art through talks, films, performances and participatory art. For more information about RedLine, please visit www.redlineart.org.